Outside stairway.



No. 653,442. l Patented July I0, 1900. A. U. DUNK.

UUTSID'E STAIRWY.

(Application led Dec. 1B, 1B99.j

3 Sheets Sheet l,

(No Model.)

N0. 653,442. Patented luly l0, IQ.

A. 0.' DUNK.

OUTSIDE STAIRWAY.

(Application filed Dec. 16, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(N0 Model.)

No. 053,442. Patenied my 40,1000. A. 0. nuNK.

OUTSIDE STAIRWAY.

(Application led, Dec. 16, 1899.)

n Modem s sham-sm: 3.

.N1-TED STATES PATENT Fries.

ALFRED C. DUNIQOF REED CITY, MICHIGAN.

OUTSIDE STAIRWAY.

SPECIFICAT] ON forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,442, dated July 10, 1900.

- Application filed December 16, 1899. Serial No. 740,548. (No model.)

To all wwnt it 711/04,/ concern.-

Beitknown that I, ALFRED O. DUNK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Reed City, in the county of Osceola and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Outside Stairways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of outside stairways which are designed more especially for lire-escape purposes; and it consists in the peculiar and advantageous construction hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claim appended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a front elevation of the lower portion of an outside stairway constructed'in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section taken in the plane indicated by line 3 3 of Fig. l, with the Wire screenwork omitted.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail horizontal sectionV taken in the plane indicated by the line 4t 4 of Fig. l. i

In the said drawings similar letters desig-` nate corresponding parts in all of the severall views, referring to whichv A is a wall of a building, and B is myimproved outside stairway, which is made up of a vertical shaft C, resting alongside the wall A between two vertical series of windowopenings therein, and balconies D, which eX-. tend laterally in opposite directions from the shaft C and rest beneath the window-openings in wall A.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the main frame of the vertical shaft C comprises horizontal angle-bars a, which are bolted or otherwise tied to the wall A at intervals in the height thereof and are of a length corresponding to the width of the shaft; outer corner-uprights b, of angle-iron, which have feet c at their lower ends arranged on foundations d and are connected together at intervals in their length by angle cross-bars e; struts f, which are arranged in pairs and are interposed between and connected to the corner-uprights b andwall A, except at the balconies-D; horizontal angle-irons g, which are interposed between'andconnected to the 'uprightsb and wallA at the balconies, and

parallel upright bars h, which are connected at intervals in their length by cross-bars i and aredesigned to form partitions between the flights of stairs, presently described.

A framework such as described islight and susceptible of being readily put together and tied to a wall of a building and at the same time is thoroughly capable of withstanding the weights and strains to which outside stairways are ordinarily subjected.

The lower portions of the sides of the shaft C are closed by three (more or less) Wire screensj, contained in superposed rectangular frames 7a, which are interposed between the corner-uprights b and the Wall A and connected to the latter, as best shown in Fig. 3. The lower portion of the front of the shaftthat is,the portion below the lower front cross- -bar e-is closed by a wire screen Z, contained in a frame m, and a hinged screen-door n. The portions of the front of the shaft C iinmediately above the several cross-bars e are closed by wire screens p, contained in rectangular frames q, which bear at their lower ends, on the said cross-bars e. The lower of these frames q is connected to the outer Vertical barsof the upper side frames k by lnetallic straps r after the manner illustrated.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the portions of the sides of shaft C above the upper frame 7o are closed by wire screens s, contained in alternate inner and outer frames if t', the inner frames t being connected to the buildingwallA, while the outer frames t are connected by straps r' to thc vertical bars of the upper screen-frames q.

E designates parallel metallic bars which are disposed at one side of the vertical partition-bars h and extend upwardly and inwardly from the angle cross-bars e of the shaft-frame to the angle-bars a thereof. These bars have lower and upper horizontal portions u and intermediate portions @,which latter are shaped to form stair-stringere and are equipped with suitable treads w, as shown.

E designates parallel metallic bars which are disposed at the opposite side of the bars h with reference to the bars E and extendupwardly and outwardly from the an gle-bars a to the angle cross-bars e. These bars E', like the bars E, have lower and upper horizontal-portions u and intermediate portions o, which latter are shaped to form stair-stringere and are provided with suitable treads w.

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On the inner horizontal portions u of the bars E E/ are arranged inner platforms F, while upon the outer horizontal portions n thereof are placed the outer platforms F. These platforms extend the full width of the shaft C and may be formed of metallic strips or other suitable material, as desired.

As will be readily appreciated from the foregoing, the bars E E', shaped as shown and equipped with treads,constitute alternate outwardly and inwardly extending iiights of stairs-that is to say, stairs which extend outwardly from and inwardly toward the wall A, respectively. It will also be appreciated that in descending the outwardly-extending stairs a person is protected by the screens s in frames t and the screens p in frames q and in descending the inwardly-extending stairs is protected by the screens s in the frames t. From this it follows that the screens s in frames t and the screens s in frames t may be made of a less Width than the side walls of the shaft C, as shown in Fig. 2, while the screens p in frames q may be arranged at intervals in the height of the shaft C, as shown in Fig. l, which obviously resultsin a considerable saving of material.

For the purpose of strengthening the intermediate portions of the bars E E and rendering the same stiff and rigid I prefer to employ the bars G, (see Fig. 3,) which are connected to the bars E E' and rest below the stringer portions thereof, as shown.

The balconies D, which correspond in number to the number of windows or other openings the shaft C extends between, are constructed after the manner best shown in Figs. l and 4 and are of a slightly-greater width than the inner platforms F. Theycomprise brackets III, which are arranged at about the proportional distance illustrated from the sides of the shaft C and are fixed in the wall Aof the building, beams I, which are strung between and connected to the brackets I-I and the bars g of the shaft-frame, floors J, which rest on the beams I and the angle-irons a' and may be formed of metallic strips or other suitable material, front rails K, and outer end rails L.

In order not to interfere with a person passing from the balconies to the platform F, arranged in the same horizontal plane therewith, the screen-frames z5 immediately above the bars g of the shaft-frame are of a less width than the other screen-frames t.

In order to leave a building by way of my improved stairway, a person has but to step through one of the windows to a balcony and then enter and pass down the shaft C. In

making the descent such person is amply protected against falling from the shaft, and if he or she stumbles and falls the Afall will be but a short one, because of the short iiights of stairs and the platforms to which they lead. It will also be appreciated that because of the shaft C being arranged between the windows of a building there is no liability of a person being cut oif by lire while making the descent.

XVhen desirable, my improved outside stairway may terminate at a distance above the ground, in which event it will be provided with the usual drop-ladder common in the art. It may also, when desired, be equipped with one or more ladders and other appurtenances common to outside stairways and other kinds of fire-escapes.

As before stated, I prefer to make several parts of my improved outside stairway of an gle-iron-t'. e. iron of angular form in crosssection. I do not desire, however, to be undei-stood as confining myself to the use of angle-iron, as in some cases the parts might be made of bars ot' iron of other shapes in cross-section. I also do not desire to be understood as 'confining myself to the employment of screenwork at the sides of the shaft C, as in some cases the strutsf might be depended upon to afford protection to persons ascending and descending the flights of stairs and serve as hand-rails for such persons. Moreover, the struts f may be omitted when desirable and the screen work alone depended upon to afford the requisite protection to persons on the stairs.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- In an outside stairway, a vertical shaft arranged alongside the wall of a building and comprising a main frame having parallel upright bars 71, extending thloughout its height and connected together at intervals and forming a partition, and also having outer corneruprights connected at intervals in theirlength by horizontal bars e, and also having horizontal bars arranged against and fixed to the wall of a building, the bars E E' disposed at opposite sides of the partition-bars h and having Stringer portions at an intermediate point of their length and also having horizontal portions at their ends arranged on and connected to the bars e a, respectively, and also having treads connected to the stringer portions of the bars E, E', and inner and outer platforms arranged on the horizontal portions of the bars E, E' and arranged between the partition-bars h and the outer portion of the frame and between said partitionbars and the building-wall, respectively, and balconies arranged in the same planes as the inner platforms of the shaft, and extending laterally from the shaft and resting below openings in the wall of the building, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED O. DUNK.

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